M.I.A.

Yeah, so I've been missing in action for a while, I know.  I hope it won't become a habit.  I've been intimidated by the thought of trying to recap, so instead of worrying about that, here's just a few recent pictures to let you know we're alive, and because I wouldn't want them to be even more out of date than they already are.

Halloween. I wasn't about to get all creative this year.

Of course I went all out for the pie making contest that was part of the Trunk-or-Treat/Fall Festival at the church.
Sheesh, I'm so competitive.
I won a chef's toque.

My little baby burritos. 

Bed head.

Yeah, they all needed hair cuts.

Just one of many shenanigans.

As if the lotion wasn't enough, yes, that's a permanent marker in the middle of it all.

Practicing to be clowns?

Ugh. Breathing treatments for Bronchiolitis. He was so good about it though.

This is a daily occurrence.
This particular masterpiece was done in the medium of yogurt followed by grilled cheese and tomato soup.
(Actually it's warmed up V8, or soup juice as my kids say. And yes, it extended onto the carpet).

This is the lovely Amaryllis I acquired from my Grandmother's house last January.
Don't ask me why it's blooming now. I also have no idea how it survived what I did to it this Summer. 

Spooky Face

Happy Halloween!

When we filled our new sandbox, we had fun with the bit of dark sand we had from before.
Spooky huh?

Oh yeah, and here is the extent of our Halloween decorating:

I know, so trashy.

Here is my five year old showing us the expression he was trying to capture.
Not bad eh?

Pumpkin Patch Kids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

 

 (I'm having layout issues so I'll just type the words down here.)

Last week we went to a pumpkin patch with some friends.  It was more than just pumpkins of course.  They are actually known for their huge corn maze but we didn't do that.  (Honestly, who in their right mind would pay to wander through a corn field with kids in the cold for who knows how many hours?)
I was surprised at all the other stuff they had to do there though, like a hay bale maze, and hay bales stacked up high with a very bumpy "slide," and we went on a hay ride as well to see the pumpkins. The kids favorite activity was probably the corn box though.  Like a sand box, just less ...sandy. We still ended up taking some home in pockets and diapers, but I can deal with corn. The baby loved it ...in more ways than one, and so did the kids. There was a tractor to climb on, tires to scale and crawl through, old fashioned water pumps to try, and thanks to my generous friend who gave us tokens, they also got to go on the barrel train thing.  It was a kids paradise! They were having so much fun they didn't want to leave.  I ran out of time since I had a prior dinner engagement, and so I left my husband and kids there to enjoy fresh dipped corndogs (which was probably tastier than what I had for dinner).  All around, it was some good ol' fashioned fun, and despite the chilly weather, we had a blast.

All Hallow's Eve

I have a confession.

I hate Halloween.

Okay, so hate is a strong word, but I really don't like the ugly, scary decorations, I don't care for scary movies, I really don't like the greedy candy grubbing teenagers who think it's still okay to trick-or-treat, and I resent the very act of trick-or-treating, especially considering the fact that my kids have been eating sugar nonstop (okay, me too since we had lots of leftovers) for days.  Why make up a holiday based upon exploiting the generosity of your neighbors?  Can't we just dress up for some kind of Fall Festival that doesn't look like it was endorsed by the Devil himself?  Call me old fashioned, but I'd rather have the Johnny Appleseed kind of get together, and forget the whole Sleepy Hollow scene.

So this year, we practically boycotted Halloween.  We did dress up in last year's costumes for a ward trunk or treat on Friday and got all the candy anyone could possibly need (not enough chocolate though), but that was it.  No decorations, no scary movies (okay we did watch Arsenic and Old Lace if that counts), and no pumpkins.  Yes, not even pumpkins.

This year I was the Halloween equivalent of Scrooge.

It hasn't always been like this.   I went all out the year after my first child was born, excited to see what new and creative way I could dress up my little one.

"Ducky Balboa, our Prize Biter"
Don't ask what I was dressed up as.  I was going to wrap a curling iron cord around my neck, but decided that was a little too macabre for me.  It turned into just an excuse for a facial.

That year (2007) we even won first place in the apartment decorating contest our complex held.

And even though my husband --and my children for that matter-- hate the feel of pumpkin innards, I made them do it every year, secretly reveling in the sliminess of it myself, and recalling the words that we as kids used to chant: "Greasy, grimy gopher guts!"

See that disgusted look on his face. (2008)

Even I had fun getting in on the act a few times,

Here's me, letting people know I was pregnant. (2008)

and I do like dressing up my kids.

(2009) 

(2010)

I guess I just wasn't feeling it this year.

Perhaps it won't be like this in 2012, but right now, I am so glad for Halloween to be over and I am looking for some nice Thanksgiving decorations to put up.  (Is anyone else bothered by the fact that Christmas stuff is already taking over the stores?  What about poor little old Thanksgiving?)

P.S. Today's date is so cool!  I almost had fun paying my bills just because I could write that date on the checks.  I can't wait 'til the 11th!